These chain plates look better than in the last blog, eah?
You know when you work on a boat project and you end up going to west marine 5 times that day? Well for me every trip is an 8 hour bus ride, a hotel, or staying at a friends house. HOW THE HELL COULD I FORGET COTTER PINS! I dug into my kit and had a few to finish these two chain plates. Man that makes me crazy. Doing a boat project here takes 10 times as long as if I were close to supplies, ARRGGGG!
My money has gone fast but I’ve really got some things I need.
I’ve been wanting a Vita Mix for quite some time. I’m all about eating healthy these days and the vita mix will set me free. I’m having lots of smoothies (warm), but will be milling bean and oat flour soon so I can make gluten free breads and pasta. I have a funny feeling I could make some killer margaritas with this machine as well ;)
I haven’t had a working VHF for over a year. I bought a new ICOM 504a VHF with loudhailer & fog horn. I could have got something cheaper but if you have ever been caught in really thick fog you would know what I mean. In many of these small countries, small boats don’t have radar, they just bang on a pot. I’m also looking forward to the loudhailer as you can be really, really obnoxious with a loud hailer if you need to be :)
I was finally able to buy a real mattress. My back has been really suffering and I needed to bight the bullet. I’ve had my second night sleeping on it and all I can say is “wow, what a difference”! My buddy Eric drove me to the mattress factory in Panama city and we strapped it to the top of his car to get it back to Linton. Sooooo happy!
I’m going to hold off on ordering my refrigeration system, the money has gone too fast. I had a long talk with my buddy Roger Olson about it. He used to own the yard that built Bristol Channel Cutters and wrote a really good cruising book “Plot your course to adventure”. He lives in Panama city and I often stay with him. He actually owned and sailed “Serifen”, Lynn and Larry Pardey’s old boat. He knows a lot about these sort of things and I often look to him for advice & ideas.
Ultimately I would want an engine driven / 12v system. I have an engine driven system now and I just need to plumb it all up. I don’t know so much about silver soldering and refrigeration plumbing but I need to learn. I’ve been a bit intimated by it all but need to conquer the whole thing.
I also want to keep a grand in my life so I can buy screws and get my printing done so I can start advertising and 
chartering, not to mention a few hundred for fuel. I’m ordering business cards and flyers from vista print, pretty cheap, and want to keep a little money flowing in my future :) I don’t want to go through the hard times of teeth problems & no money like I did a few months back :(
I’ve converted the v-birth to a work shop. All of my paint supplies, epoxy & fillers, sandpapers and tools are neatly laid out. I’m trying to keep the boat in order so I don’t live in total kayos anymore.
I ordered a new (used) flip video camera and will get back to making some video again.
I’m also about to finish the SCUBA/pneumatic system. I just bought 2 old SCUBA tanks ($150) that need to be hydro’d and visually inspected. I got the final piece made for my scuba compressor and just need to find some compressor oil now. After a few more hi-pressure plumbing parts and a pressure regulator from my 1st stage I should be in business and able to start shooting primer and paint. The pressure is about 140 PSI coming out of the LP side of my first stage scuba regulator. I’m going to put an adjustable regulator in after that so I can manipulate the pressure to the spray gun.
I feel alive with new motivation. I spent far too many months watching the clouds and stars pass from my hammock, but it was so nice to afford the time to make sense and contemplate my life.
I do so love this website, communicating with all of you, and living a simple and free life on the sea.
Cheers guys.
Peace, Love, and freedom!
– alex